Marine Fisheries

Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, upon the recommendation of Jeffrey P. Engel, M.D., State Health Director, Department of Health and Human Services, hereby announces that the following change in shellfish harvesting areas will take effect at sunrise, Friday, September 2, 2011.

All those waters in Onslow and Carteret Counties will return to the status in existence immediately prior to the August 29, 2011, temporary closures except the following which will remain closed:

All those waters bordered on the west by the South Carolina State Line, and bordered on the northeast by the Onslow Beach Bridge to include Shallotte River, Lockwoods Folly River, Cape Fear River, Myrtle Grove Sound, Topsail Sound, Stump Sound, Alligator Bay, Chadwick Bay, New River, and all other creeks and tributaries within said boundaries.

All those waters from the IWW to the mainland between IWW Beacon #58 near Bear Creek in Onslow County and the Emerald Isle High-rise Bridge in Carteret County, to include Bear Creek, Queens Creek, White Oak River, and all other creeks and tributaries within said boundaries. Newport River - All those waters in Newport River upstream of the Highway 70 High Rise Bridge and Morehead-Beaufort Causeway, to include all tributaries and Core Creek.

All those waters bordered on the south and east by a line beginning at Long Point near Rumley Bay thence in a straight line to Lookout Point on the east shore of Thorofare Bay, thence in a straight line across Thorofare Bay to Hall Point near Atlantic, thence in a straight line to Fl. Beacon #20 in Core Sound, thence in a straight line to Fl. Beacon #27 in Core Sound, thence in a straight line to Fl. Beacon #37 in Core Sound, thence in a straight line to Shell Point on Harkers Island, thence following the shoreline to the western tip of Harkers Island, thence in a straight line to the Beaufort permanent closure line near Channel Marker #56B, thence in a straight line to the eastern tip of Carrot Island; to include North River, The Straits, Whitehurst Creek, Sleepy Creek, Jarrett Bay, Oyster Creek, Brett Bay, Nelson Bay, Thorofare Bay, and Rumley Bay.

Cedar Island Bay – All those waters in Cedar Island Bay upstream of a straight line beginning at Hog Island Point thence across the bay to Long Point, to include Lewis Creek.

All those waters bordered on the south and east by a line beginning at Hog Island Point; running northeasterly to a point 34° 59.5027’ N -76° 12.3204’ W in Wainwright Channel immediately east of the northern tip of Wainwright Island; thence following the shrimp line northerly to a point 35° 00.2728’ N -76° 12.1903’ W near Beacon “2CS”; running northeasterly to a point 35° 01.4985’ N -76° 11.4353’ W near Beacon “HL”; running northeasterly to a point 35° 07.1000 N -76° 06.9000’ W; running northeasterly to a point 35° 08.4523’ N -76° 02.6651’ W in Nine Foot Shoal Channel near Beacon “9”; running southeasterly to the southwest tip of Ocracoke Island; and bordered on the north by the Virginia State Line, to include West Bay, Turnagain Bay, South River, Adams Creek, Neuse River, Bay River, Pamlico River, Rose Bay, Swanquarter Bay, a portion of Pamlico Sound, Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands, Roanoke Sound, Croatan Sound, Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, and all other tributaries within said boundaries.

B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the N.C. Fisheries Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 03H .0103.

C. This proclamation returns the following areas to normal closure boundaries: All those waters between the Onslow Beach Bridge and Beacon #58 near Bear Creek, Freeman Creek, and all those waters in Bogue Sound between the Emerald Isle High-rise Bridge and the permanent closure line near 16th Street in Morehead City.

D. These reopenings are due to satisfactory bacteriological sampling results.